


Two Halves Of A Whole Idiot

by i_just_missed_writing



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:22:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22669987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_just_missed_writing/pseuds/i_just_missed_writing
Summary: Being a duelist in the pro-league came with a lot of responsibilities. And while Judai was good at shouldering most of them, there was one aspect he simply wasn't good at: sucking up to the sponsors.And that was were his best friend Johan came in.Judai was always allowed to bring a plus one. Johan was good at keeping him in check. And their managers both thought presenting them as a couple would be a fantastic marketing strategy for the upcoming championship season.
Relationships: Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Comments: 51
Kudos: 143





	1. Judai vs Sponsorship Events

"Oh yeah, she's a great duelist! I'd love to challenge her sometime!"

"Judai!" 

Judai turned as his name was hissed at him. His manager, Ryo, didn't look happy. But then again, he never really did. "What's wrong?" Judai asked as Ryo grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the towering guy he'd been talking to. "Sorry!" Judai quickly called out. "I'll get back to you later!"

The big guy seemed a little confused at first but quickly found someone else who grabbed his attention in the giant ball room.

They were at a sponsorship event which was 'designed to bring professional duelists and stuck-up rich people together for the sake of establishing a mutually beneficially relationship based on financial gain and exposure'. At least that was how Ryo had explained it earlier when Judai had asked. The event was hosted at an over-sized mansion which was apparently the winter residence of one of those 'stuck-up rich people'. It was quite beautiful, there was no denying that, but it felt more like a museum than a home. Judai couldn't see himself ever getting comfortable in a place like that.

"You can't just say things like that to other managers!" Ryo bit out as he forcefully guided him away from the crowd via a firm hand between Judai's shoulder blades. "Especially not when you're talking about their clients! What if he'd seen it as a formal challenge?"

Judai frowned. "I don't see the problem here. I really do want to duel Blair. She seems like she'd be an interesting opponent."

Ryo pushed him into a quit corner near the kitchens. With his back to the crowd, Ryo automatically shielded them from prying eyes. "Challenging someone to a formal duel means paperwork and organisational fees," Ryo began as he stared Judai down. "Both teams would have to sit down together and discuss time and date, marketing and location. Do you even know how many departments would have to get involved? How would I explain that to the higher ups after you just got signed?"

"Um..."

"You are not to leave my side for the rest of this evening, do you hear me? You are not to speak unless I prompt you to. You just stand there, smile, and shake hands. That's it."

Judai didn't like the sound of that but Ryo was a scary guy and Judai was rather attached to this being alive thing. "Understood."

* * *

"You should've warned me about how un-fun the pro-leagues are," Judai said the second Johan picked up the call. He was back home now and laying on top his sheets with his suit still on. He hadn't even bothered to turn on the light when he'd come in. With the blinds still open, the city illuminated the place more than enough. Not that there was all that much to illuminate. He'd only moved in a few days ago and his sparse belongings had been unpacked within less than an hour.

"What happened?" Johan asked.

"Ryo dragged me to one of those sponsor event thingies."

"Hm, yeah. A necessary evil."

Judai blew out a breath and loosened his tie. "Evil sounds about right. Ryo gave me the death stare just because I told some guy I'd like to duel some other person who turned out to be his client or something."

Johan's sigh crackled through the tinny speaker. "Judai... You can't just say things like that anymore. Dueling is your job now. If you challenge someone at an event like that-"

"I know! I know!" Judai rolled over onto his side, his phone still cradled to his ear. "Ryo already lectured me. I don't need to hear it again from you."

"I'm just trying to keep you from getting into trouble."

"I know you are." Judai closed his eyes to focus on the soft sounds at the other end of the line. "I just don't like having to watch my every word."

"I can imagine."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Don't pout at me. You've always been rather blunt and straightforward, there's no denying it."

Judai breathed out a laugh. "Meanie." He rolled over onto his back again and looked up at the ceiling. "Ryo already scheduled a bunch more sponsor events for me."

"That's normal. You were just signed so you need the funding."

"And what if I don't get it? Will they just terminate my contract?"

Johan was quiet for a moment. "I don't know."

"Thank you. I appreciate the honesty."

Johan chuckled. "You'll be fine, Judai. Stop worrying. You're fun and charming. They'll be tripping all over each other to get to you."

"Would you repeat that to my manager if I introduced you?"

Johan's laugh reminded Judai of home. "I have to go now but I'll text you later, okay?"

* * *

Two days later, Judai got dragged out of an event by a furious Ryo. "I can't believe you talked to the host with your mouth full."

The day after that, he was pushed out the backdoor while confused kitchen staff looked on. "I can't believe you left in the middle of a conversation with a sponsor to chase after a cat upstairs."

Three days after that, he was bundled up in a blanket and carried out through the park gates. "I can't believe you dove into the pond to fish out your dropped spoon in the middle of winter."

* * *

Judai sat curled up against the headboard of his bed with his phone firmly pressed against his ear. "Come on, Johan... Pick up..." He closed his eyes and tightened the hug around his pillow.

"Judai?" Johan sounded confused and tired. "It's three in the morning."

"I think they'll terminate my contract," Judai said quietly. The words hurt his throat just a little. He'd never imagined it would end so soon. He hadn't even gotten to duel anyone. It'd been nothing but meetings and paperwork and getting scolded. And he'd really tried this time. He'd been polite and stuck to Ryo's script. He'd barely eaten anything. He hadn't started any conversations. But then the host's daughter had shown up and Judai had decided to play with her a bit because she'd looked bored.

They'd ended up by the pond where the little girl had wanted to show him some magic trick she'd learned from a friend. It was supposed to end with a spoon that turned invisible underwater, and in a way it had. The spoon had disappeared from sight but under different circumstances. The girl had let go when a fish had bumped against her hand and then she'd started crying because the spoon was real silver and thus expensive which would mean her father would get mad if he found out she'd lost hers. So Judai had decided to go for a swim and save the girl's spoon.

There was shuffling on Johan's end. "Why would they terminate it?" He sounded more awake now. "They seemed pretty eager to sign you just a few days ago."

"Ryo may or may not have had to pull me out of a pond today..."

Johan sighed. "Judai..."

Judai looked down at his pillow and found that a traitorous tear drop had already stained its case. "I know..."

"There are many questions in my head right now but I think the most important one is: What can you do to fix this?"

"I called because I was hoping you'd tell me."

"It's your contract on the line, not mine. I think you have to figure this out yourself."

Judai pursed his lips for a moment. "You were nicer when we were kids."

"Says the guy who woke me up in the middle of the night to pout at me."

"I wasn't pouting. I don't pout. Ever."

"Goodnight, Judai." Johan's voice was softer again. "Let me know if I can help with your plan once you have one."

* * *

"When I offered, I was thinking more along the lines of etiquette advice," Johan said as he followed Judai through a set of massive front doors and into yet another fancy ballroom. This one had white pillars and polished marble floors that would probably be fantastic for sock sliding.

"Ryo agreed it'd be a good idea to bring a plus one," Judai replied. His gaze was now set on the buffet. And more specifically, on the chocolate fountain.

"Where is your manager anyway?" Johan asked as he grabbed Judai's arm to slow him down. He hadn't even noticed he'd been gaining speed but... _chocolate fountain_.

"I thought he was with yours." Judai tore his gaze away from the buffet to scan the crowd for a familiar head of dark turquoise hair. It didn't take long to spot his gloomy get-up among the pastels of the other guests. "Yup, there he is!"

Johan smacked his hand. "Don't point at people!"

"Sorry." With his stomach rumbling, Judai focused back on getting to the buffet.

"Our managers seem to know each other," Johan observed.

"What makes you think that?"

"Fubuki's body language is pretty telling."

Judai acknowledged the words with a hum and grabbed himself the biggest plate. Time to load up on fruit...

"That's enough for now," Johan quickly cut in and grabbed Judai's wrist to stop him from piling on more strawberries.

"But-"

"Your best behavior, Judai."

"Fine..."

"Now move so I can fill up my plate before I dunk my actual face into that fountain."

* * *

"I can't believe you actually managed to get through the entire event without an incident."

The weight on Judai's shoulders lightened at the words as he followed Ryo to the car.

* * *

"I have a proposition for you."

The tone in Ryo's voice was odd and pushed Judai to press the phone a little tighter to his ear. "What kind of proposition?"

"One that could pave the way to your future here with us."

"Could you elaborate on that?"

"Be at the office in two hours." With that, Ryo hung up.

Judai looked down at the crumbs on his pajamas and the duel monsters cards spread out on the floor in front of him. He better take a shower and get dressed.

* * *

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late," Judai chanted to himself as he bounced on his toes in the elevator. He pulled out his phone to check the time again. Two minutes after five already. He should've been there at five sharp. He was fired. So fired. His career was over before it had even begun.

The second the elevator doors opened, Judai pounced and set off in a sprint down the hallway.

His sneakers skidded on the polished wood as he cut the corner and flung himself at his manager's office door. His entire body weight came down on the handle and allowed his momentum to fling him into the room and against the back of an unexpected visitor. They both went down with strangled cries and ended up on the floor in a pile of limbs.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Judai cut himself off when he noticed the bright blue hair of the person he'd landed on. He quickly pushed to his knees and grabbed the person's shoulder to roll them over. "Johan!" Judai's mood immediately brightened.

"Do you always enter your manager's office like this?" Johan groaned as he pushed up onto his elbows.

"I try not to." Judai quickly got up and offered Johan his hand to pull him up as well.

With both of them back on their feet, Judai noticed the other two people in the room. There was Ryo with his familiar death glare but also Fubuki, Johan's manager, who seemed more amused than annoyed or angry. His sunny demeanor fit his unique stylistic choices - Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals; and all that in the middle of winter. Judai felt like he'd be a fun person to chat with. Which reminded him...

"Not that I'm not happy to see you," Judai started, "but... what are you guys doing here?"

Fubuki's amused smile quickly turned into a look of fierce determination. "I'm here to guide you toward the brightest of spotlights."

"Oh... kay?"

"As I already told you: I have a proposition," Ryo cut in.

"And that proposition would be... ?" Judai prompted.

"A way to drastically increase your status with potential sponsors as well as a way to elevate your image."

"By doing what exactly?"

"Spending more time with Johan," Fubuki replied.

Judai blinked. "Really?"

"Yes," Ryo confirmed, "you'd only be attending sponsorship events with him as your plus one."

"Amazing, I'm in!" Judai turned to smile brightly at Johan because hello? He got to keep his contract _and_ spend more time with his best friend? How much better could this have gone? But instead of a happy grin, Judai was met with Johan's frown. And it was directed at Fubuki. "Why aren't you happy about this?"

"There's more," Johan stated as his eyes narrowed at his manager.

"There is," Fubuki agreed. "You would be attending as each other's plus one."

"So?" Judai asked. They'd already done that the previous evening and it had been the most fun Judai had ever had at any of those events.

"We'd be changing how the media and public perceive both of you," Ryo elaborated.

Judai shrugged. "I don't care if everyone knows we're close." He looked at Johan. "Do you?"

Johan was still looking at Fubuki with narrowed eyes. "How close would they think we are?"

"Really close." Fubuki's tone was starting to sound a little off, even to Judai who barely knew him.

Johan must have picked up on it too because he crossed his arms. "Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that a little further?"

"We'd like to start marketing you two as romantically involved," Ryo stated bluntly.

Judai's face scrunched up in confusion. "Why?"

"Johan has a spotless image." Fubuki mirrored Johan by crossing his arms as well. "No scandals, no gossip, no paparazzi shots. People aren't talking about him as much as the higher ups would like even though he has a big tournament coming up. A romance with a promising up and coming duelist who's also from the same school? Whom he clearly also has a shared past with? Now that would get people talking! And when the people are talking, the sponsors come running, and so do interview opportunities which would boost the overall ratings."

Judai cocked his head as the gears began to turn in his head. "So you want us to... pretend we're dating so people will gossip about us?"

"Yes," Ryo confirmed.

Judai looked to Johan for guidance but only found the same damn frown on his face. He wasn't used to not being able to read Johan. The usually open book had shut on him and now he was lost. How was he supposed to know how to react to this now? It was Johan who had a year of experience in this industry, not him. Maybe this kind of publicity stunt was normal among these circles. Or maybe it really was as outlandish as it sounded to Judai. How was he supposed to know?

"Will you do it?" Ryo asked after a moment of tense silence had passed.

Judai kept looking at Johan, searching his face, his body language, his breathing pattern for answers but there was nothing. Fine then. He faced his manager whose expression was as stony as ever. "I'll do it as long as he's comfortable with it."

"Johan?" Fubuki prompted.

Judai looked back at his best friend. And for once, he had absolutely no idea what to expect from him. Was he confused by the offer? Relieved by the prospect of boosting his career? Weirded out by the idea of fake-dating Judai?

"Let's do it." Johan sounded strangely serious as he spoke the words. As if he were gearing up for something.

"Brilliant!" Fubuki's bright smile was back in full force. "You two can go now while Ryo and I start scheduling your public appearances!" With those words, he pushed both Johan and Judai out into the hallway and shut the door in their faces.

Judai turned to look at Johan who seemed... spaced out in a way. The look in his eyes was distant as if he were lost in thought.

"Guess we have the rest of the day off," Judai said. "Wanna go play some video games at my place?"


	2. Judai vs Social Media

Johan was quiet on the way home. He only spoke when prompted but Judai felt like it wasn't his place to comment on it. They'd just had a pretty big bombshell dropped on them after all. Which made Judai think that he himself should probably be freaking out a little as well but he wasn't one to fake emotions and lie to himself. 

Once they reached his apartment, he grabbed some snacks from the kitchen and dumped them on the coffee table. In the meantime, Johan had made himself at home on the couch by curling up in the corner with a distant look on his face. Judai shot him a worried look but still went to switch on the video game console as planned. There was no better way to cheer someone up than to allow them to button mash an enemy into submission! He grabbed two controllers and tossed Johan the spare one.

"Before you say anything," Judai began and flopped onto the couch beside Johan, "yes, you are Player 1 this time."

"That's not really my main concern at the moment, Judai."

"Your appreciation of my graciousness is noted."

Johan sighed and picked his character. "Aren't you worried at all?"

"About what?" Judai replied as he started the match.

"Are you serious right now?"

Judai started skipping through the dialogue of their A.I. companion. "You mean the fake dating thing?"

"What else would I mean?"

"I don't know. The weather has been a little off recently."

"You're incorrigible." Johan was using his fond tone now which eased something in Judai's chest. A pressure. One Judai didn't even know had been there before.

"I shall take that as a compliment."

"Do you even know what incorrigible means?"

"No."

Johan's character split from the group and started heading for the nearest building on the enemy base of operations.

"What are you worried about exactly? Do you think they won't believe us?"

"I'm more worried about what they'll have us do to seem convincing."

Judai shrugged. "They're probably just gonna send us to some formal gatherings again. Maybe show up for some interviews"

* * *

"Social media?" Johan read out and looked up from the agreement Ryo and Fubuki had drafted for them.

Judai felt like his own expression mirrored the confusion on Johan's. "Neither of us even is on social media right now."

"Judai still owns an actual flip phone," Johan said to back him up.

"I do. And Johan once made a Twitter account just to delete it less than a day later."

"And that is exactly why we put this on the list," Fubuki explained. "You're both young and beautiful and in dire need of an online presence that will draw in your peers."

"Your careers are dependent on viewership." Ryo slid a pen across the table toward Johan. "If you don't bring in the numbers, you will never make it in the pro league."

"Three posts a week on all platforms," Johan read out.

"You can cross post the same thing on all of them if you'd like," Fubuki clarified.

"Does this mean I have to get a smartphone now?" Judai cut in.

Ryo sighed. "Obviously yes."

"Oh man. I like my flip phone... It's red."

"I'll buy you a red case for your smartphone," Fubuki offered.

"Thank you."

Ryo leaned back in his chair. "Will you both please just sign the agreement now?"

"This thing is five pages and I'm only on page two." Johan flipped back and forth between the last few pages. "Why is there a segment dated three years from now?"

"Wait, what?" Judai leaned over to read along with Johan.

A moment of silence passed.

" _Marriage?_ " Johan suddenly called out. His finger slammed down on a section near the bottom of the page.

Judai pursed his lips. Johan was a really fast reader. "A publicly televised wedding? Can we have it be space themed?"

"Are you serious?" Johan gaped at him.

"Galaxies are really pretty."

"Judai!"

"Please take this seriously," Ryo spoke up.

Judai shrugged. "I am. I had no plans to marry anyone else so..."

"He's got the right attitude!" Fubuki said cheerfully.

Judai shot him a smile.

"I prefer making my own life choices." Johan flipped the agreement shut and leaned back in his chair with crossed arms. "I'm not signing this."

"Oh. Well, I trust his judgment!" Judai announced. "I'm not signing it either."

Ryo, surprisingly, seemed neither angry nor annoyed, which probably meant he knew this would happen. "Fine. Fubuki, give them the second draft."

A one-page document was put on the desk on Johan and Judai's side. Unlike the previous agreement, this one only consisted of a few bullet points, each followed by a section of small print which outlined the specific requirements and expectations.

Johan read them all carefully while Judai skimmed over the first few lines over and over again. The phrasing was weird and the entire first paragraph was just one run-on sentence that made no sense to him. But in the end, Johan agreed to put his name at the bottom and handed the pen over to Judai who signed right next to him on the dotted line.

* * *

They'd gone to Johan's after the meeting with only one quick stop at an electronics store to buy a smartphone for Judai.

"I miss the buttons," Judai whined as he downloaded all the required social media apps. Because yes, that was also included in the second draft.

"You'll get used to it," Johan said.

Judai dropped his phone on the coffee table and leaned back into the soft blue cushions as well as Johan's side so he could watch him scroll through his picture gallery. "What are you doing?"

"Picking a profile picture."

Judai hooked his chin over Johan's shoulder and reached out to take over scrolling. After a few seconds, he tapped on an image to enlarge it. "I like that one."

"Because you're the one who took it?" Johan teased.

"No, because I know your smile here is real."

"Oh." Johan cleared his throat. "Yeah, let's pick that one then. I'm sure Fubuki will love it, too."

Judai chuckled. "Yeah, he probably will."

"Speaking of Fubuki," Johan went on as he went through each app to set his profile picture, "would you really have been fine with getting married in a few years?"

Judai shrugged. "Sure, why not? I don't see myself settling down with anyone else. I'm too focused on dueling. And when I'm not dueling, I'm with you. So-" He shrugged again. "Whenever I think of my future, that's what I see: dueling and... you."

Johan's fingers had stopped moving but he was still staring down at the phone screen.

"Are you okay?" Judai frowned in concern. He was just about to move back a little when Johan cleared his throat again.

"No, I'm fine. That's... really sweet of you, Judai."

"It's the truth."

Johan's shoulder moved against Judai with a deep breath. "I know. Let's set up your profiles now."

* * *

"I think you should move in together before the agreement's starting date," Fubuki told them at their next meeting.

They were back in Ryo's office with Johan and Judai on one side of the massive desk and Ryo brooding on the other. Fubuki stood by and strummed on the ukulele he'd decided to bring for 'some lighthearted background tunes while we chat' or so he'd said when Judai had asked.

"But neither of our leases are running out any time soon," Johan replied.

"I could ask my sister if she wants to move into the spare one," Fubuki offered. "I've been trying to convince her to move closer again but she always says she can never find a place."

Judai felt like that may have been an excuse because people were moving in and out of the city all the time. He himself had gotten the chance to look at seven other places before he'd picked the one he'd ended up in. He chose to be polite and keep the suspicion to himself.

"Would you be okay with that, Judai?" Ryo prompted.

"Um, yeah, sure. If Johan is as well." He turned to look at Johan with hopeful eyes. He'd really missed having a roommate. He got lonely easily.

The moment Johan look at him, his entire expression seemed to soften. "We were practically roommates back in school already, so..."

Judai felt the smile take over his entire face. "This is gonna be amazing, Johan! We can binge shows together and duel after breakfast and adopt a cat and-"

"Build up your status as a couple on social media to meet all the requirements set by the agreement," Ryo cut in.

"Yes, and that."

The smile on Johan's face looked and felt different from the ones he was usually aiming at Judai. There was something in his eyes that made Judai think he must be missing something.

"So which apartment will you be moving into?" Fubuki asked.

"I think mine would make more sense," Johan said and turned to look at his manager.

"I agree. I just moved in so there wouldn't be much to pack up." Judai watched as Ryo started typing on his computer.

"Great. Make sure you're fully moved in with him by Wednesday."

* * *

On Tuesday, Judai packed up his belongings and tracked across the city on foot to get to Johan's place. It was a little windy out but other than that, it was a rather pleasant stroll. He saw a few cats and dogs out and even got to pet some of them. But more importantly, he got time to think.

This was his last day as an officially single man. Of course he wouldn't _really_ be in a relationship, but then again, what did that even mean? At what point did a regular platonic relationship cross into romantic territory? Were there clear-cut rules he wasn't aware of? And if so, why had nobody shared them with him? Especially given the nature of the agreement he'd signed?

Judai stuffed his hands in his pockets. 

Maybe he'd been a bit quick to sign on that dotted line. There were probably some aspects he hadn't been thinking about. Like what it actually means to come across as romantically involved. Would people now expect them to hold hands and kiss and stuff? Probably. Or well... maybe not. They were mostly going to appear in controlled settings like sponsorship events, interviews, and their own social media. Nobody would expect them to be all touchy in public, right? Right.

 _However_ \- what if somebody did expect those kinds of things. Would he mind? Would Johan mind?

Judai kicked a pebble and watched it roll downhill between the feet of the other pedestrians. 

He'd never been in a relationship before. And neither had Johan from what Judai knew. They'd both mainly been focused on dueling and making friends. The urge to smooch someone had just never really hit Judai before, despite how tactile of a person he'd always been. He couldn't really picture what it would feel like to touch mouths like that. Especially with both people's noses being right there to make things more difficult. Was that immature of him? Should he tell Johan about all of these thoughts? Would that be weird? Was he overthinking things?

Judai shook his head to rid himself of all the messy thoughts.

* * *

It was Day 1 one of the agreement. Technically at least because the clock had just jumped to one past midnight.

Judai and Johan had unfolded the couch and were now both lying down to watch TV. There was a horror movie marathon playing which was set to end no sooner than 6 am. They hadn't really planned to stay up that long but Johan was still feeling wide awake and Judai didn't want to be the one to speak up and declare bed time. It was nice to have someone there with him again at night. Johan especially. His presence had always been very calming to Judai who usually always felt the need to entertain everyone around him.

"What are we gonna post for our first day as boyfriends?" Judai asked, his tone teasing as he watched a guy trip in the forest while a serial killer was chasing him. Johan was laying right there beside him, his head at about Judai's chest height so they could both see the screen. They'd originally started out sitting upright but as they'd gotten more drowsy, they'd both slid down and unfolded the blankets previously draped over the backrest.

"Huh?" Johan seemed caught off-guard by the question.

"We're gonna have to announce our relationship tomorrow," Judai clarified. "Or well, later today."

"Oh..." Johan rolled onto his back and looked over at Judai. "I didn't really think about that."

"The thought only hit me just now, too." Judai lifted up onto his elbow so he could look down at Johan. "Do you think we could both just post the same thing or would that be breaching the agreement?"

Johan shrugged. "I don't think they ever specified that part." His gaze met Judai's. The flickering lights from the TV caused the shadows to dance across his face. "We should post a picture of us together though, right?"

"I think that'd make the most sense, yes." Judai's free hand reached out to play with the curly tips of Johan's hair where it was draped across the cushions. "How do you think your fans are gonna react?"

"I'm not even sure I have any, to be honest."

Judai huffed a breath. "Come on, Johan, don't be humble."

"I'm serious. The people who come to watch my matches are there for the crystal beasts, not me."

"Have you just never paid _any_ attention to the audience when you were in those arenas?"

Johan frowned.

Judai tugged at the blue curl he'd been playing with. "The people love you, Johan! Not just your deck, though that's super amazing and beautiful in and of itself, but _you_."

Johan's frown deepened.

"They like how you entertain the audience. There are literally entire video compilations of you summoning Rainbow Dragon. There are entire blogs dedicated to your hair and eyes."

"How do you know all this when you still had a flip phone until just a few days ago?"

Judai could feel his cheeks heat up and tugged harder at the curl between his fingers until Johan winced and slapped his hand away. "Don't tease me, I was trying to be nice."

Johan chuckled. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He curled onto his side, facing Judai who also flopped down so they could be on eye level. "I'm flattered that you looked me up online."

"Well, I had to keep an eye on my best friend after he joined the pro-leagues."

Johan's smile was still there, though his blinking was slower. He had to be getting tired. "I looked you up, too, when you got signed. A lot of people went digging into your past and found footage from your first duel against Professor Cronos."

"Oh geez, please tell me they're not calling me dropout boy now."

Johan's laughter was bright and warm and contagious. "No, don't worry. Some nicknamed you Red Kuriboh though."

Judai frowned. "Seriously?"

"I think it's because of your hair and jacket."

Judai reached up to touch his hair which made Johan break back into laughter. "What's wrong with it?" he asked.

Johan reached out to ruffle his bangs. "Brown and fluffy."

Judai slapped the hand away. "I happen to like my hair so don't be mean!"

"It's not an insult, you doof - everybody loves Kuriboh! He's powerful and protective and also happens to be cute and fluffy - like you!"

"Cute and... fluffy?"

"It's past midnight, don't judge me."

Judai chuckled and threw an arm over Johan to pull him closer. "I'd never." He pressed his face to Johan's shoulder and let the tension of the day leave his muscles. This? This was comfort. He'd missed this.

Johan tugged his trapped arm free and squeezed it under Judai so he could wrap it around him and get more comfortable himself. "Guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight as well," he said softly.

"Hm-hmm."

On screen, the last remaining survivor killed the bad guy with a chainsaw.

* * *

Judai awoke to the sound of rain tapping against the window and the sensation of fingertips dancing across his back. He felt warm and comfortable in a way he hadn't felt in years. It was nice to wake up so completely wrapped up in somebody every now and again. Especially when that somebody was Johan who was arguably his favorite person on the planet.

"I wish I didn't have to pee right now," Judai mumbled into Johan's chest.

The fingers that had been drawing shapes onto his back froze mid-motion. "How long have you been awake?" Johan's voice was low, his tone soft. Judai could feel the words ruffle the top of his hair.

"I just woke up." Judai stretched out his legs and felt them bump against Johan's. "Hmm, I'm so comfy right now. I don't wanna get up."

Johan's chuckle reverberated against Judai's cheek where it was pillowed on his chest. "We have the whole day off so no one can stop us from doing nothing but this all day."

Judai hummed. "Sounds like a plan." He paused. "But for now, I really gotta pee."

Twenty minutes later found them both back on the couch with some bread rolls and hot chocolate. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder and with Judai's right leg crossed over Johan's left. The TV was playing some morning cartoons and Johan was tapping away on his phone with the hand not cradling his mug.

"What're you doing?" Judai asked between sips of his drink.

"Trying to come up with the right way to announce our relationship," Johan mumbled.

"Huh, I almost forgot about that." Judai ripped a piece off his roll and stuffed it in his mouth. He wondered if all of this should feel like a bigger deal to him. But then again, he wasn't exactly well-known in the industry unlike Edo or Yugi. Would people even care about this announcement? Probably not. Though maybe he should at least send out a mass text to his friends and family, just to inform them of this scheme. The thought made him cringe. Scheme. That didn't sound right.

He didn't feel like he was pushing an agenda or doing something wrong or illegal. What he felt for Johan wasn't a lie. He loved spending time with him - whether it was talking, dueling, or watching movies. All this agreement was really doing was warping one small aspect to fit _their_ narrative. _They_ being Ryo and Fubuki. Because Judai still wasn't entirely sure what any of this was supposed to achieve.

"Hey, Judai."

"Hm?"

"Are you fine with me using this picture for the announcement?" Johan angled his phone toward Judai.

There was a picture on-screen and a new one at that. It'd been taken earlier when Judai had still been curled up on Johan's chest. He was visibly asleep on it and even Johan looked only half awake as he smiled up at the camera. There was a teasing look in his eyes and his chin was tilted down into Judai's mop of hair. Judai wasn't sure why but he felt his cheeks heat up at the sight of his own sleeping face. He hadn't really considered what their earlier position may look like to outsiders but this clearly showed how comfortable they were around each other. He couldn't deny that part of him felt protective of that moment now and didn't want it to be shared with the world. But if Johan didn't mind...

"I can't spot any drool on your shirt so you're good to go," Judai said quickly before his feelings got the best of him. "Which picture should I post then? Just the same one?"

"Or we could take one right now," Johan suggested and resumed his typing.

"I don't want it to feel forced..."

"Let me go through my gallery then. Maybe I can find something for you."

Judai downed the last of his hot chocolate and rolled to his knees so he could set the mug on the coffee table. With his hands now free, he got to curl up beside Johan again and drop his head on his shoulder. "How far back do the pictures go?"

"I've had the phone for three years but there're also some old ones on here." Johan exited the camera roll and opened a folder titled _Academy Years_. 

Judai's eyes widened as he saw their 15-year-old faces looking back at him. "No way!" He leaned forward and snatched the phone from Johan's hands.

"Hey!"

Judai let himself topple over sideways, away from Johan, and shuffled back until his head hit the furthest corner of the couch. "Oh wow, I remember so many of these!"

"Give that back!"

"No, I have to wallow in the nostalgia now."

"Judai!" Johan complained and crawled over to him. But before he could reach him, Judai had already rolled off the couch and was heading toward the kitchen. "Are you serious?" Johan called after him.

"We were all so young!"

"We're only twenty-two."

"Do you remember how we met?" Judai asked as he rounded the dining table to get away from Johan who was quickly advancing.

"Of course I do. I don't think I could ever forget that even if I wanted to."

Judai turned to evade the hands that were trying to snatch the phone from him again. "I'd never felt that way with someone I'd just met. I haven't since either."

"That's cute, Judai, now give me the phone!" Johan grabbed around him but Judai was quick to turn again and sprint a few feet away from him, all without ever taking his eyes off the screen.

"I'm in pretty much all of those pictures," he observed.

"We were together most of the time, what did you expect?"

"We really were, weren't we?" Judai paused his scrolling on a picture of the two of them with their faces squished together to fit in the square frame; wow, screens back then really had been so much smaller. But somehow, he'd still found a way to squeeze in the peace sign he was throwing up with his right hand. "I want this one."

Johan took advantage of the moment of stillness and wrapped one of his arms around Judai to keep him from running again. With one arm around his waist, his other hand was free to reclaim his phone.

"It's perfect, right?" Judai was still looking at the screen and made no move to step out of the hold on him. 

"I wouldn't say perfect. I'm squinting all weird because we were facing the sun and the quality is garbage because it was taken on an actual brick."

Judai snatched back the phone with a huff. "Stop insulting our happy memory!" He quickly went to send the picture to himself before Johan could stop him.

Johan's laugh was warm against the side of his face. "I'm not trying to be mean. I was just being objective." He squeezed the arm still wrapped around Judai's middle once before letting go and taking back his cell.

Judai let him but had to admit he immediately missed the physical closeness. It led him to trail after Johan back to the couch.

"What're you gonna put as the caption?" Johan asked as he dropped back into the cushions with half his legs dangling over the armrest.

Judai copied him from the other end so their heads ended up in the middle, right beside each other. "I don't know. Writing isn't really my strong suit."

"Same."

Judai reached out to grab his own phone from the coffee table and quickly unlocked the screen. The message he'd sent to himself was quickly found and the picture saved. For a moment, he just stared at it again. The moment it was taken was ingrained in his memory. They'd only known each other for a few days at that point and yet, it had felt like they'd spent a lifetime together. The photo was taken under Judai's favorite tree where he'd brought Johan to watch the sunset together. It had been Johan's idea to commemorate the short-lived moment of peace and comfort but it had been Judai who'd hooked his arm around Johan's neck to squish their faces together. Which was also what had resulted in the dorky grins they were sporting in the picture.

Judai opened up the first social media app and uploaded the image file. Now, what to write in the caption? It should be something short and precise that still got the point across: they were "dating" now. 

"Did you just write 'Me and the bf, age 15'?" 

Johan's voice startled Judai into dropping the phone on his face. When he snatched it back up, there was a string of random emojis smacked right in the middle of the sentence which he quickly deleted. "I think it gets our intention across."

"I guess..." Johan rolled over onto his stomach and began to type. Less than a minute later, he reached out to tug at a stray piece of Judai's bangs. "Tag each other and then post on three?"

Judai nodded, quickly typed out Johan's handle, and let his thumb hover over the POST button.

"One... two... three!"

They both tapped the screen and put their fates into the hands of the internet. A rather terrifying thought. "Aaand now we gotta do the same on all other platforms."

Two minutes later, they were all done and the first notifications were popping up. Apparently Fubuki had made sure to react to their posts on all sites while also tagging a whole bunch of other pro-league duelists who'd then gone and welcomed them with their own posts and now everyone and their parents was getting notified about their relationship status. Which reminded Judai he hadn't even read Johan's caption yet. He quickly went to his profile and checked the lone post. 

'The bf told me I could post this since he didn't drool on me this time.'

Judai turned to glare at Johan. "Really? That's the caption you went with?"

"I think it gets our intention across," Johan echoed his earlier response.

"Now everyone's gonna think I drool in my sleep."

"You do do that sometimes."

"But the internet doesn't need to know that!"

"I don't think you need to worry. All of these people are just commenting how cute you are."

"Really?" Judai turned his attention back to the post and loaded the comment section. "Why are they all writing with capslock on?"

"I think it means they're excited."

"Ah."

They both fell silent for a moment as they scrolled through the comments.

"Oh."

Johan's voice had Judai looking over again. "What is it?"

"I think your caption has people thinking we've been dating since we were fifteen."

"Oh." Judai went back to his own profile for a quick edit. "There."

"You literally just added 'Best friends turned boyfriends at 22'."

"Yup."

"Well... I guess it clears things up."

"Great!" Judai tossed his phone on the coffee table and chose to ignore Johan's wince at the action. "Let's start fighting over what to binge watch today."

* * *

"I think we should just order takeout," Johan mumbled from where he lay curled up in the corner of the couch.

Next to him, Judai was lying with his feet on the backrest and his arms crossed behind his head. It was already 11 pm. The day had literally flown by as they'd made their way through the first section of their combined to-watch lists. "I don't wanna move."

"And I don't wanna eat chips for dinner."

"What about rice balls?" Judai suggested.

"You already ate them all for lunch, remember?"

"Damn."

"Will you order if I get you your phone?"

"I guess."

Johan made a big show of groaning in discomfort at his every move until he'd eventually crawled all the way to the edge of the couch so he could reach the table. Though instead of handing the phone to Judai after, he chose to balance it on Judai's forehead.

"Thanks." Judai slowed tugged one hand free from under his head so he could grab and unlock the screen. The moment he saw the icons of his social media apps, he frowned. "What do all those red numbers mean?"

"Huh?" Johan laid down next to him so he could see what he was talking about. "Oh, those are your notifications."

"They're all ninety-nine plus though."

Johan rolled away again and came back a second later with his own phone. "Yeah, same for me."

"Maybe it's a bug."

"Or maybe people are more invested in our personal lives than we thought."

Judai hummed in acknowledgment. "So, fried rice?"

"Sounds good."


	3. Judai vs Interviews

"You've got a shared interview tomorrow," Ryo stated before Judai had even gotten out a greeting.

It was 10 am and Judai had just gotten woken up by the call. A friendly 'good morning' would have been appreciated.

"It'll be here at the office so do try to be on time."

"I'm always on time."

Ryo scoffed.

"Johan is always on time."

"Just be there. I'll send you the exact details in an email so check your inbox for once." Ryo hung up without waiting for a response.

Judai dropped the phone back on the coffee table and rolled over to wrap his arm back around Johan.

"Was that Ryo?" Johan's voice was still a little rough with sleep.

"Hm-hmm." Judai tightened his hold around Johan's middle and pulled him closer to his chest while also trying not to get any blue hair in his mouth.

"What'd he want?"

"Something about an interview tomorrow."

"With both of us?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"Dunno. He said he'd send an email."

"Okay."

They fell asleep for another three hours.

* * *

"Why would anyone ever schedule anything before ten in the morning?" Judai mumbled between yawns as he dragged himself toward the bathroom. 

Beside him, Johan bumped into the wall repeatedly on unsteady feet while Ruby bounced around his legs with a confused expression. Neither of them had gotten more than three hours of sleep. It was a miracle they'd even managed to encourage each other to get up in the first place.

"When do we have to be there again?" Judai asked as he patted along the wall to find the light switch for the bathroom.

"Seven."

"Do pajamas count as interview-appropriate?"

"They should but I don't think they do."

"That's a flaw in the system."

"Just gimme that toothbrush before I fall asleep again."

Ten minutes later, they were stumbling their way down the street to get to the office building of Judai's agency. Despite their thick coats and scarves, they were both freezing. Thankfully, they made it to the building on time. The elevator ride also gave them a chance to thaw so they huddled into a back corner and leaned into each other. This resulted in Judai nearly falling asleep until the elevator stopped and startled him awake. 

A dark haired person in a formal skirt and blazer came in and sent them a smile before glancing at the floor buttons. They didn't press any. Instead, they returned their focus to their phone.

The next stop was the floor containing Ryo's office where they all collectively got out. Though where Judai and Johan went straight ahead, the stranger turned left.

"We're both gonna fall over if you keep leaning on me like that," Johan mumbled.

Judai got out a "hmpf" where his mouth was pressed against Johan's shoulder.

Ryo's door was open in invitation when they got there. And it gave a clear view of Ryo who was sitting on his chair with crossed arms while Fubuki sat on his desk and chatted away about some talent show he'd been watching. It was a true sign of their bond that Ryo hadn't told him to shut up but was instead feigning interest by making eye contact every now and again.

Johan announced their arrival by lightly tapping his knuckles against the door frame.

"There you are," Ryo said and got up with a stern expression while Fubuki merely turned to give them a smile and wave. "Everything's already prepared for you so follow me."

The interview room turned out to be a small seating room with a couch and two arm chairs. There was a coffee maker on a counter in the corner and large floor to ceiling windows in the wall opposite the door. Decorations were sparse with only one large abstract painting on the wall above the couch.Three other people were already in the room when they got there - with one operating a camera, another preparing the clip-on microphones, and the last being the dark haired person from the elevator who was now seated in one of the armchairs, their legs crossed under an open notepad.

"We should take off our coats," Johan whispered while he was already unwrapping the scarf from around his neck.

"Oh. Yeah." Judai followed his example but then felt rather lost when he couldn't find somewhere to put his stuff.

Ryo sighed behind him. "Just give it here." He took the clothes from Judai's hands and grabbed Johan's as well for good measure, only to then throw them Fubuki's way so he could push Judai and Johan into the room ahead. "Sit on the couch and behave," was the last thing he hold them before leaving them to fend for themselves.

Judai automatically turned to look at Johan who offered him a shrug. "Um... we're here?" Judai offered as a greeting to the crew.

Everyone turned to throw them a glance but only the interviewer kept the attention on them. "Well, hello!" A blinding smile, truly. "Yuki and Andersen, it's an honor to meet you!" The interview was up on their feet and giving them a slight bow.

"Johan and Judai is fine," Judai was quick to say. "It's an honor to meet all of you as well." _I guess,_ he silently added and glanced at Johan. _This is awkward, right?_

Johan merely shrugged again.

"Please, take a seat," the interviewer said.

They did as told and nodded their consent when a crew member came to wire them up with clip-on microphones.

"I'll just ask you some basic questions once the camera starts rolling. Nothing too prying or intruding, I promise. We also have a section prepared where we'll be taking questions from your fan-bases. I hope that's okay with you."

"Um... sure?" Judai replied and looked at Johan again who seemed preoccupied with adjusting the wires under his shirt.

"Live in 10!" someone behind the camera announced just as Judai was blinded by a box light which was newly aimed at his face.

"Is there anything else we should know about?" Johan asked.

"Oh, no, there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure your managers informed you of the basics."

Judai felt his eyes widen and turned to stare at Johan who finally seemed just a teeny bit troubled as well. _Our managers didn't tell us sh-_

The interviewer chuckled. "No need to look so concerned, Judai. Just relax and have fun!"

Judai forced a smile to his face. "Sure!" He glanced from the interviewer to Johan and back. "We shouldn't look at the cameras, right?"

"It'll feel more natural to the audience if you ignore them, yes."

Beside him, Johan sputtered as his face was lightly beaten with a powder puff.

"You have really great skin," the make up artist noted.

"Um, thanks."

"Eye-liner would suit you!"

"Really?"

"Definitely."

Judai was next to be slapped into submission under the pretense of powdering. And he didn't even get a compliment. Should he feel offended by that?

"Live in 5!" the voice from earlier announced.

Those last five minutes were used well by all stylists on set. They suffocated them in hair spray and straightened their clothes until they were satisfied.

"Live in 3, 2, 1..."

_Oh crap, this is live!_

Judai was staring at Johan in silent panic as the interviewer began their introduction. It took Johan elbowing him in the side with a pointed look before he controlled his expression.

"- and with us today are Yuki Judai and Johan Andersen! Good morning, you two!"

Judai forced a smile back on his face. "Good morning! It's really cold today, isn't it?" _Talking about the weather - always save. Or is it?_

"Yes, it really is here in Domino City!" the interviewer replied brightly.

"Not even the Crystal Beasts want to come out in this cold," Johan said. His tone was casual and posture relaxed. Looking at him made Judai feel more at ease. And he didn't even have to look at the camera so really, couldn't he just treat this as the two of them hanging out? Wouldn't that even be exactly what Ryo wanted?

"Makes me wish I could just escape the cold by going to another dimension," Judai replied. "I mean, not that I dislike winter but it's only really fun when there's snow. Right now it's just cold and windy."

"We always get snow for months every single year back home."

"What? Really?" Judai burst out. "Why'd you never take me then?"

"'Cause I've barely been home since we met."

Judai frowned. "Well, it's time to change that! Let's book a flight when we get home!"

Johan chuckled. "I don't think now's the time to plan that."

Judai blinked and turned to look at the interviewer who was watching them with a smile and cocked head. "Oh... right. Sorry."

The interviewer waved the apology aside. "No worries. Would you like to answer the first question?"

"Sure!"

"So you two recently announced your relationship status on social media."

"We did," Johan confirmed.

"And it caused quite the whirlwind among dueling enthusiasts as well as the pro-league duelists themselves," the interviewer went on. "This makes me assume you two really managed to keep this relationship under wraps from everyone. How did you achieve that in a society where everyone has a camera phone on them at all times? I'm sure many would appreciate some tips and tricks on protecting their privacy!"

"We really just..." Judai trailed off as he realized what a terrible liar he was. It was one thing to not correct people when they voiced assumptions but a whole other thing to just straight up lie to someone's face. This entire thing was already turning out to be a terrible idea. Ryo was so going to fire him.

"Don't go out much," Johan finished for him.

Judai blinked at Johan. Right. He was in this with him. "Y-Yeah! I mean... I don't think we've had a single..."

"Date."

"Yes, date, outside one of our apartments since we..."

"Got together."

"That, yes! Thank you."

The interviewer gave them an odd look that had Judai nervous. "So you live separately?"

"Not anymore," Johan replied. "Judai just moved in with me, actually."

"And it's been great!" Judai smiled in relief. This was something he could speak in all honesty about. "We haven't spent this much time together since we graduated from Dueling Academy!"

"It's true."

"I can finally talk to him until three in the morning without fear of dropping a phone on my face!"

Johan's soft laughter eased the tension in Judai's shoulders even further. He wasn't alone in this - that was something he needed to remember. Neither of them was. They had each other. Judai just needed to leave the direct lies to Johan and focus on the remaining part: flaunting their bond in people's faces. That really shouldn't be too hard! After all, he could easily talk about how amazing Johan was for days on end.

"I really don't know why I didn't move in sooner," Judai went on. "I mean, we used to do everything together! Part of me wishes I'd followed him into the city right away but I also think I really needed the time to see the world, meet new people, and explore different cultures, so I don't regret that. I just really missed my best friend while I was gone."

"You could've called more," Johan said, though his tone was teasing.

Judai turned to pout at him. "I did call you."

"Every few months or so."

"That's more frequently than anyone else!"

"Really?"

Judai nodded.

"Huh. Then I feel honored. Continue."

Judai tried to bite back his laughter.

"Has your relationship changed since you've been living together?" the interviewer asked.

Judai turned to look at them.

"It's only been a few days," Johan shared, "but I think we've grown even closer if that's possible."

"Especially physically," Judai said.

"Judai!"

Judai blinked. "What? It's true! He's really good at cuddling. If that's something you can be good at. Which I think it is. We have a friend called Kenzan and his idea of cuddling turns into attempted homicide via strangulation when you try to get up to pee at night."

Johan mumbled something beside him that sounded suspiciously like a prayer.

"And this Kenzan is someone you both went to school with?" the interviewer asked.

"Yes, he was part of our friend group in Duel Academy!" Judai answered.

"And that's also where you two first met, correct?"

"Yes, I came in as an exchange student in their second year," Johan said. "Judai was actually the first student I met there."

"I met Ruby before I met you," Judai recalled. "It was on the roof before the opening ceremony... which you were late to."

Johan gave him a deadpan look. "And you were the one who was oh-so-eager to duel the _'legendary duelist with the Crystal Beasts deck'_ but then didn't manage to put two and two together when both me _and_ that duelist were late _and_ you'd also just met Ruby who also just so happens to _clearly_ be a crystal beast."

"Oh yeah, I remember that!" Judai scratched the back of his head as he felt his face heat up. "I did get to duel you though."

"And it was fun!"

"It was amazing! You were already playing the audience back then with how you hyped up Rainbow Dragon!" Judai gushed. "Aw, I really wanna duel with you like that again! Just for fun but in a proper arena!"

"Are you challenging me?"

"What if I am?"

"Then you'll have to talk to my manager."

"Whaaaa-"

Johan laughed and reached out to pat Judai's cheek.

"We've got some fan questions from our Twitter page if you'd like to answer those," the interviewer spoke up.

"Oh, right, yes, of course." Judai felt his face heat up. "I'm so sorry. I really don't meant to ignore or exclude you. He's just really distracting."

"Oi, don't blame me for your short attention span!" Johan said in mock offense.

"Too late!" Judai replied cheerfully.

"The first question, which you can see here on screen, is: 'Do you ever fight and if yes, what do you fight about most often?'"

"Judai recently went through the picture gallery on my phone without asking."

Judai felt his jaw drop open. "You considered that a fight?"

"I did end up chasing you through the apartment, so yes."

"That wasn't a fight," Judai argued. "I was just looking for a good profile picture while reminiscing about our former youth."

"We're in our twenties!"

"You keep saying that is if mid-twenties isn't old. That's over two decades, Johan! Before you know it, I'll be finding gray hairs!"

"If you find any on me before I'm fifty, just know they were caused by you."

Judai gaped. "Woah, that's so mean!"

Johan chuckled and reached out to nudge his chin. "You know I love you."

Judai couldn't help the bright smile. "Aw, I love you too!"

Johan ducked his head. "I'm not sure we answered that question properly."

"Oh, yeah!" Judai cocked his head. "Is there even something we fight about regularly?"

There was a pause before Johan shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Next question then!" Judai said with a big grin.

"Okay..." The interviewer flipped through their notebook. "'What made you decide to make your relationship public?'"

Judai tried not to cringe so he looked down at the hands folded in his lap.

"We just felt it was the right time," Johan lied smoothly. "We were planning on moving in together and figured we'd be seen together a lot more from there so keeping this hidden would have felt dishonest. This way, we can just be ourselves without potential media speculation."

Judai looked over at Johan to study his profile. He really was a flawless liar, wasn't he? Should that be something to worry about? Was Johan capable of hiding things from him as well? But what would he be hiding and why? After all, Judai knew him better than anyone. Johan could clearly fool these strangers but him? No, Judai was way too observant to be kept in the dark on anything Johan-related. That man was an open book to him.

"We have another question here," the interviewer announced. "Our last one actually! 'Do you have any tips for others who are trying to confess their feelings to their best friend?' And they followed this up with: 'Because I'm terrified of ruining this friendship and losing the one I love the most.' That one really strikes your heart, doesn't it?"

"Definitely," Johan said, though it was barely louder than a mutter. "I- Judai and I, we've known each other for close to a decade now." He was looking down at his lap where his palms were pressed to his thighs. "When I realized I was... in love with him, it wasn't really a happy or... intimate moment." He chuckled. "Actually, it was an absolutely crazy one. There was a duel and one of our friends was dangling on a dead tree over a cliff edge... but that's besides the point." Johan paused with a faraway look on his face. "Judai was being, well, Judai, which means he was doing something dumb, crazy, and heartwarming and that was the moment I realized I was crushing on an idiot.

"But the moment that crush turned to more, turned to love, was much later. We'd been through a lot of dangerous stuff together and I think we both knew how deeply we cared for each other but there wasn't really time to analyze the nature of those feelings. Only once the dust had settled did I get a chance to look into my heart and discern what I was feeling. And by the time I got to see Judai again, we were already thrown back into danger and there was no time to talk about it. So I buried the feelings... deep down. I felt them bubbling up every time we were together but... there was always something else going on. Something that seemed more important. And before I knew it, we were in our twenties. Adults. Adults with careers and different kinds of responsibilities.

"We started to lose track of each other for a bit. Communication was limited to phone calls, face time, and text messages. I treasured those conversations, I did, which is why I think I never dared to put them on the line for the sake of confessing what I was feeling." Johan cleared his throat. "But then Judai joined the pro-leagues and our lives got intertwined again. It felt right to use that chance to put it all out in the open. And luckily, Judai and I were on the same page. So what I'm saying is: there will come a time where it feels right to confess. And if your friend treasures you as much as you treasure them, they'd never let those feelings tear you apart, regardless of whether they're reciprocated or not."

Judai knew he was staring but he didn't know where else to look. "I... I don't know how to follow that up so... good luck! I hope things turn out well for you two!"

* * *

"Woah, Johan, you're such a great actor!"

"Hm?"

Judai leaned into Johan's side as they waited at the traffic light on their way home. "I mean, I always knew you could act with the way you played the crowd during our first duel alone, but what you did back there was on a whole other level!"

"Uh-huh."

"You almost had _me_ convinced you're in love with me and I know you better than anyone else who was watching!"

Johan quickly looked left and right and jogged across the road despite the red light.

"Oi, wait up!"

"Walk faster!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been 84 years but I've got no plans of abandoning this story. Updates will just be slow and sometimes shorter!


	4. Johan vs Judai's Boredom

Johan was in love with an idiot. He'd accepted this fact. He didn't always like that it was a fact but he accepted it nonetheless. They were soulmates destined to meet on one fateful day - Johan believed in that wholeheartedly - and he was glad they'd gotten to meet so young, despite everything it had led to.

There were days where he wondered how things would've gone down back then if he'd never participated in the exchange program but he rarely dwelled on those thoughts for long. He couldn't picture his life without Judai anymore. He'd become an integral part of it - both past and present. He wouldn't be the same person without all their shared memories. Sometimes he just wished he could see Judai the same way Judai saw him: with no romantic feelings involved. It'd certainly make things easier.

"They're still there!" Judai whined. He was likely glaring through the blinds and down at the paparazzi gathered on the sidewalk. Again. It was the fifteenth time he'd done it in the last hour alone.

"And they're probably still going to be there an hour from now," Johan replied from his spot on the carpet. His patience was starting to run low. He didn't snap often but when he did, Judai was usually the reason for it. He loved that man with his whole heart but there was no denying how annoying he could get sometimes. Especially when he was bored but didn't feel like sleeping.

Judai turned to watch Johan sort his cards for a short but peaceful moment. "How can you be so calm? We can't even leave to get groceries right now! I'm gonna starve, Johan!" In his periphery, Johan saw him patting his stomach. "You know how I get when I'm hungry!"

"You're already whining so it won't make much of a difference." Johan glanced over at Amethyst who was laying on the floor next to him and showed her the card he was holding. Once he'd received an approving nod from her, he placed it on the stack to his left.

"I'm whining because I'm already hungry."

"The only reason you wanna go out now is that you can't."

"I like to have options."

"Then opt to stand indoors where the paparazzi can't get you."

Judai went to peek outside again and groaned in frustration. "What do they even want from us?"

"Pictures, I assume."

"But why?"

"Because their bosses told them to."

"But why?"

"Because people are curious about us since that interview aired."

"But why?"

"Because humans like to get invested in other humans' lives for some reason. Now sit down or lay down or play a video game or sort out your deck, I don't care, just do something other than stand there!"

Judai looked back at Johan who threw him a glare before returning his focus to his cards. "Sheesh, fine." He moved out of the corner by the window and went to sit down across from Johan. "So what're we doing?"

"I'm working on a strategy," Johan mumbled.

"What for?"

"The championship season. You know, the reason we signed that contract and decided to sacrifice our personal freedom for the sake of staging a fake relationship which is supposed to attract the media's attention and increase financial investments which will satisfy our managers and ensure further job security for you."

"Cool."

Johan sighed and glanced up at Judai who crinkled his nose in a way that wasn't cute at all. Yes... definitely not.

"Where's Crystal Abundance?" Judai asked.

Johan froze and fanned out stack after stack in front of him until he found it. He quickly added it to the formation. "You were distracting me. But thank you."

Judai hummed and pulled up his knees so he could wrap his arms around his shins. "Have you been on the birdie app recently?"

"You mean Twitter?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't, why?" Johan looked up and watched Judai tighten the hold around himself.

"No reason."

Johan set down the cards he'd been holding and frowned. He didn't even bother to say anything. He knew Judai understood the silent prompting.

"Some of your fans aren't happy about this development," Judai mumbled.

Johan could feel the anger bubble up in him. "What did they say to you?"

"I don't know..." Judai averted his gaze. He sounded unsure. His expression turned thoughtful as he fell silent. "Hm... you know what? I think I just misunderstood some of the modern slang or something!" The smile on his face was so fake it hurt as he let go of his legs and climbed to his feet. "I better leave you to your strategizing!"

Johan blinked. "Judai, wait!"

"Nah-ah! Focus on your deck, Johan! We wouldn't want to make Fubuki sad, right?" Judai carefully rounded the cards on the carpet and ran a hand through Johan's hair on his way to the kitchen.

Johan tried not to focus on his tingling scalp and warm face. "This isn't over!" he called after him. "I know you're hiding something!"

"I found soba noodles in the cupboard - woop woop!"

* * *

Judai had decided to withdraw to the bedroom while Johan was working on his deck with his family of Crystal Beasts. 

It didn't take long before Johan's phone buzzed on the floor beside him. He went to check on it and saw a new Tweet from Judai asking for suggestions to fight his boredom.

Johan couldn't help but smile and quickly went to reply with a "Clean the bathroom" before setting his phone aside again.

"Hey, Sapphire Pegasus, do you think I should add this equip ca-"

"Nice try, Johan, get off your phone!" Judai called out, his voice muffled through the door.

Johan couldn't bite back his laughter.

"You should confess your feelings to him," Emerald Tortoise said in a tone bordering on concerned.

Johan froze before he deflated. His family had known about his feelings for years but they rarely brought it up in such a straightforward way. The fact that they did now was quite telling. "I can't," he said softly. "His reaction when I literally confessed everything on live television- I- He-" He cut off with a frustrated huff. "He doesn't feel the same. I'd know it if he did."

"Should I start a YouTube channel?" Judai's warm and familiar voice rang through the apartment again

Johan took a deep breath to suffocate the ache in his chest. "Depends! What do you plan on uploading?"

"Oh. Good question!" Judai fell silent again after that.

* * *

"Should I use the front or back camera on this thing?"

"Why are you asking me? It's your video," Johan mumbled as he gathered his cards into a neat stack.

He could hear Judai sigh and click off the screen. There was a dull thud as he dropped his phone onto the couch cushions beside him. When Johan looked up, he found Judai with his arms crossed on the backrest as he watched him.

"What's wrong?" Johan asked when he saw the look on Judai's face.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea after all..."

"But you already wrote up all the questions for your Q and A." Johan looked up at him with a frown. "It's not like you to quit that far into something."

"Finding those questions wasn't easy." Judai lowered his gaze. "The things these people write. I want them to stop but I know telling them wouldn't do anything."

Johan set aside his deck without second thought and moved closer, right into Judai's field of vision. He had to duck down and tilt his head to seek out Judai's eyes. "I think you should start blocking people."

Judai pulled his eyebrows together as he met his gaze. "What?"

"You can block other users."

"Would that get them into trouble? Because I don't want that."

Johan felt his expression soften at the words. This man would be the death of him. "No, they just wouldn't be able to interact with your Tweets anymore."

Judai's eyes widened before he whirled around to pick up his phone and shove it into Johan's face. "Teach me!"

Johan nearly went cross-eyed as he tried to look at the screen pressed to his nose. "You have to unlock it first."

"Oh." Judai quickly took the phone back and traced out the pattern while Johan hopped over the backrest to join him on the couch. "Here!" Judai sounded eager as he held out his phone.

Johan accepted it and looked at the comment section of the already opened Tweet. His expression darkened right away. There were people insulting Judai's intelligence, his appearance, his mannerisms, and even some who were calling him toxic and abusive because of Johan's interview story about Judai snatching his phone. "I'll block this one to show you," Johan got out. He had to force his jaw to unclench as he spoke.

"Wait, that one's fine!"

Johan turned to stare at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"I don't mind that." Judai reached over to scroll down a little further. "Here, block this one."

Johan suppressed his anger and looked down at the lewd comment about his and Judai's imaginary sex life. "Gladly," he forced out. "So just go to their profile like this. Tap the three dots. And here: block. Done."

"It's that easy?" Judai sounded amazed.

"Yes. Now let me block this other profile."

Judai quickly snatched the phone out of his hand.

"Then you do it!" Johan told him.

Judai shook his head and clicked off the screen. "It's fine. I'll check the other comments later."

"But you'll block that one," Johan pushed.

Judai hopped to his feet. "Come on, let's do something fun!"

"Judai!" Johan jumped up and grabbed Judai's wrist, forcing him to turn. "Talk to me!"

The way Judai averted his gaze while restless energy visibly rushed through him settled like a weight in Johan's gut.

"Just talk to me," Johan said softly. He tugged at Judai's wrist to bring him closer.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Why didn't you want me to block that person?"

Judai shrugged. "I just don't think it's necessary. They didn't write anything mean or..." He scrunched up his face. "You know..."

Johan's natural reaction was to smile but it was overshadowed by his concern. "They called you abusive, Judai."

Another shrug. "They're right. I didn't think about it at the time but... I was invading your privacy. And I didn't stop when you asked me to. I'm sorry."

"Judai..."

The fake smile was back and Judai tugged out of his hold. "I think I'll go work on my deck as well. You're not the only one with important duels coming up!"

Johan immediately lunged forward to grab Judai's arm and pull him into a hug. "Don't you dare!"

Judai didn't move as Johan adjusted his hold on him. "What-"

"Don't listen to those stupid Tweets!"

"But-"

"They don't know you, Judai! None of them do. I've known you for years. I know you better than anyone else! Do you really think I would've reacted like I did back then, if I'd been that bothered about you going through my pictures?"

"I've read about abusive relationships and-"

Johan held Judai tighter and squeezed his eyes shut. Part of him was hoping he could squeeze the dumb thoughts out of Judai but he knew that wouldn't work. Words would have to do this time. "You would never hurt me. Not intentionally."

"People can be abusive without-"

"And the fact that you looked all that up and apologized and feel bad about it after reading some random stranger's Tweet shows you're not like that!"

Judai relaxed in his hold and hummed thoughtfully. After a moment, he was hugging Johan back. "Twitter is a really twisted place, Johan."

The tension eased out of Johan's muscles as he exhaled. He dropped his cheek on Judai's shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. "Tell me about it."

Judai's hair tickled against Johan's skin as he got comfortable. His breath was warm against Johan's shoulder. "We're good for each other, right?"

Johan sighed. "Judai..."

"Right. Sorry."

Johan froze as he felt Judai press something that felt suspiciously like a kiss to his shoulder. His heart rate immediately skyrocketed as his cheeks heated up.

"Now about that YouTube channel!"

Johan buried his face in Judai's shoulder to calm down.

* * *

"So you want us to film a Q and A together now?" Johan asked.

Judai hummed his agreement as he adjusted his provisional tripod made up of two mugs, a stack of books, and a chair.

"And why are we filming this at the dining table?"

"Because I've got plans!"

"I don't like the sound of that."

"It'll be fun, trust me!"

"I do."

Judai turned to shoot him a bright smile.

Johan felt his heart grow even softer. "I hope you charged your phone."

"Oh damn. Where's the charger?"

"Coffee table."

"I'll get it!"

* * *

"Why are we baking cookies right now?"

Judai sneezed and dispersed the cloud of flour he'd created. "Because they wanted to know who's the better baker."

"Alright then."

* * *

"You got green paint on your forehead," Judai said.

Johan reached up to wipe at his face.

"No, further left."

"Your left or mine?"

Judai grinned and shook his head. "Come here." He leaned forward and used one hand to hold back Johan's hair while he rubbed at his temple with the other. "Damn, that's really stuck."

Johan sighed. "Great."

Judai leaned back and puffed out his cheeks for a moment. "It matches your eyes though."

The comment had Johan chuckling even as he blushed. "Just press play again."

Judai did as told with a cheerful smile and picked up his brush again. "Tell me more about those snowy mountains, Mr. Ross!"

* * *

"Why did you move in with a box of jigsaw puzzles but not a single pair of sweatpants?" Johan asked as he knelt at the coffee table with a frown.

"Because I have my priorities!"

"You don't even have the patience to finish such a large puzzle, don't lie to me."

Judai pouted and threw another edge piece on the growing pile on Johan's half of the table. "I happen to find it very relaxing." He paused. "For about ten minutes before I get bored."

"How is this part of the Q and A video again?"

"They asked if we have tips for relaxing couple's activities. I thought this could be one."

"And you couldn't pick one of the things we've already done today? Or, you know, one of the things we usually do to relax together?"

Judai was back to pouting.

Johan threw a puzzle piece at his head to make him smile again.

* * *

"Now grab my hands and pull!" Judai instructed.

Johan did as told and felt his eyes widen. "Wow, you're really flexible!"

"Thank you!" Judai grinned and leaned back again. "Now I pull!"

"Oh crap." Johan winced as he felt his muscles protest.

"Couple's yoga is fun!" Judai said cheerfully.

"This is not what I imagined when you said Q and A!"

"It's very interactive!"

* * *

Johan was collapsed on the floor by the time Judai picked up his phone to close off his video.

"So that was fun!" Judai told the camera. "Thank you for all the questions and suggestions." He walked closer to Johan. "We had a lot of fun, right, Johan?"

Johan watched as Judai sat down beside him. "Sure."

Judai didn't look happy with the answer and went to lay down beside him. "That didn't sound convincing."

Johan turned to look at him. "I genuinely had fun, I promise."

Now that was the smile he'd been looking for. Judai's happiness felt like sunshine as he shuffled closer and pillowed the back of his head on Johan's chest while still holding the phone above them. "Did you hear that? I think we managed to beat boredom for today!"

"I wasn't really bored to begin with," Johan pointed out.

"You beat potential boredom then!"

"And you get to keep fighting that boredom as you clean up the apartment! Can I hear a 'yay'?"

"Yay..."

Johan laughed and reached up to tangle his fingers in Judai's hair. There were so many words trapped in his throat. Words that wanted to escape but... Johan looked at Judai's outstretched arm. Wait. He could say them right now. "I love you, Judai. So much."

Judai tilted his head to look at him, all without moving from his spot on Johan's chest. His eyes were wide before a smile spread across his face. "I love you too, Johan."

Those words never failed to send Johan's heart racing before it fell into a pit of ice and needles. Judai didn't mean them the way he did. It was love, no doubt about it. Judai would never lie to him like that. But it wasn't the same type of love Johan was also looking for. He cherished it nonetheless. He'd cherish anything Judai willingly gave to him.

"Now let's say goodbye to the viewers!" Judai announced.

* * *

"What're you going to name the channel?" Johan asked as he watched Judai battle the editing software on his laptop.

"Red Kuriboh."

Johan chuckled. "So you're embracing the nickname then?"

"Yup!"

"You're adorable." Johan snapped his mouth shut and winced. That wasn't supposed to slip out.

Judai laughed in that soft and warm way of his. "Thank you. You're pretty cute yourself."

Johan glanced over at the closest pillow and thought about screaming into it.

"Do we need to run this past Ryo and Fubuki?"

"I don't think so. But I do expect a thank you card in response."

"A thank you for us having fun on camera? I really think this is as good as life can get!"

"Even when you're stuck indoors because of the paparazzi?" Johan asked.

"Absolutely! I got to spend the whole day trying new things with you! I can't even remember the last time I had this much fun! I wish every day could be like this..."

Judai's straightforward honesty would be Johan's cause of death one day.


	5. Judai vs His Past

**One week later...**

Judai had stopped interacting with his and Johan's fans. There wasn't a particular reason as to why. The reactions to his videos and Tweets weren't overwhelmingly positive or negative but people did seem to be rather polarized and, worst of all, divided. About everything. Be it their relationship, them as individuals, their careers, their behavior, their dueling style,... There simply were a lot of opinions to be read, and a lot of pointless arguments and fights to witness, and Judai couldn't bring himself to confront it all. He just wanted to be.

"Your parents texted me."

The words had Judai cringe hard enough to nearly bite through his toothbrush. "Whave?"

Johan leaned against the bathroom door jamb. "Your mom said you need to call her back."

"Owdteygavyorenomber?" Judai asked, fully bent over the sink so he wouldn't dribble all over himself.

"They tracked me down when they heard you were joining the pro league."

Judai spat out the toothpaste and started washing up. His movements were janky and far more forceful than necessary but he couldn't help himself. The thought of his parents knowing about him and Johan... "You should block their number. Right now."

"That seems a little extreme."

Judai scoffed as he dried off his hands and brushed past Johan. "You don't know them like I do."

"Obviously," Johan replied and trailed after him.

"They're not good people. And I don't say that lightly," Judai mumbled. He pulled his pajama top over his head and tossed it on the bed in passing as he made a beeline for his dresser.

"I wouldn't know. You never talk about them."

"Because there's nothing to tell. They're never around."

"Business people?" Johan asked. There was a careful undertone to the words.

"You could say that." Judai dug up a change of clothes and started undressing. Johan could look away if he wanted to, Judai didn't really care either way. They'd been to the hot springs before so there was nothing to hide.

"What do they do?"

"You know what? I've got no idea."

"You don't know?" Johan sounded incredulous.

"They never told me and I never bothered to ask."

"That's..." Johan trailed off.

"A side of me you don't like?" Judai questioned. The words left him before he could think better of it. He tightened his hold on the hem of the shirt he'd just put on. Johan's gaze was burning into his back, he could feel it and he couldn't bear to turn around and face it. His parents always brought out the worst in him. They were selfish. Neglectful. Driven. The word 'parents' didn't even remotely describe them. There had been many moments throughout his childhood where he'd wondered why they'd bothered to have a child in the first place. Was it social pressure? An accident? A spur of the moment decision? Did it matter?

"I don't think such a thing exists." Johan's soft voice pulled Judai out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Judai tilted his head to the side, though not far enough to even see Johan in his periphery.

"I don't think there's a side of you I don't like."

The straightforwardness of the statement caught Judai off guard. He felt the smile tug at his lips and chuckled. "Thank you, Johan."

"You're welcome." 

Judai quickly buttoned up his shirt and rolled up his sleeves before he turned around with a cheerful grin that didn't feel as honest as he'd like it to. "So what're we gonna do today? Any ideas?"

"We could go to the park," Johan said. The _'and talk'_ was left unsaid but Judai could hear it all the same.

"Or go to the movies!"

Johan frowned. "Isn't the point of this to be seen out in public?"

"Oh... right." Judai averted his gaze. The fake relationship thing. He kept forgetting about that. Social media posts aside, his life hadn't been all that different.There'd been another interview and training duels with Ryo but other than that, his existence had become limited to Johan's - no, _their_ apartment. Though as it turned out, Ryo and Fubuki weren't happy about that which is why they'd pushed them to go out more. Judai didn't mind it too much. He used to be an outdoor teen after all.

"So the park?" Johan prompted again.

Judai bit his lip for a moment before he nodded. "Okay. The park it is!"

* * *

"I'm looking forward to the day where we can stop sneaking out the window and hopping onto the garden wall just so we can leave the house without getting cameras shoved in our faces," Judai mumbled as he watched Winged Kuriboh bounce through the air a few feet ahead. He was clearly happy about getting out of the house again. Maybe Judai should start taking him out for walks like a dog.

"Don't say that too loud or Ryo might hear you," Johan teased.

Judai cringed. "Oh man, if he finds out we avoided the media storm again..."

"Yeah, he'll have our heads."

"Macabre."

"But true."

Judai scrunched up his nose. "I wish it weren't."

They came to a stop at the zebra crossing leading up to the front gates of the park. Cars were rushing past and blocking the view of the people waiting on the other side of the road, but every now and again, Judai could swear he saw some people pointing at them.

"Oh. Right." Judai quickly glanced down to his left and grabbed Johan's hand so he could interlace their fingers. When he looked back up, he met green eyes wide with surprise. "Boyfriends, remember?"

Johan quickly looked away. "Right!"

Judai squeezed his hand with a smile. "We really need to get better at acting in love or this whole thing will blow up in our faces."

"And by 'this whole thing' you mean your manager?"

"And yours."

"Hm... I don't think Fubuki would react as badly as Ryo."

"I don't know. He does seem rather invested in this whole thing." Judai bounced on his toes as the impatience built up in him. City traffic lights were the worst. "I'm surprised he hasn't started pushing for a wedding again," he joked.

"Ha, yeah..."

"Green!" Judai called out and started dragging Johan across the road and toward the park gates. "I can smell baked goods! Can you? I think the crepe stand is back! Come _on_ , Johan! Move faster!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez, calm down!"

* * *

"No! I just spilled chocolate sauce on my shoe!" Judai whined.

"And?"

"Ryo got these for the photo shoot next week..."

"So you decided to wear them out to the park?" Johan lightly smacked him over the head. "Dumb-dumb."

Judai sighed and flopped down on the nearest bench with Johan following suit. "He's gonna fire me."

"I doubt it. You've done worse."

"These shoes cost more than one month's rent."

"He's gonna fire you."

Judai groaned and sagged backed against the bench until his chin rested on his collarbone. "I had a good run though."

"You haven't participated in a single tournament so far."

"That's brutal, Johan!" Judai shoveled some half-melted strawberry ice cream into his mouth. Part of it landed on his shirt. He ripped off a piece of crepe to mop it up with little success.

A low buzz had Judai glance up to watch Johan pull his phone from his pocket. "It's your dad," Johan said in a neutral tone.

"You should block him."

"He says you should call your mother."

"Him telling you that won't get _me_ to do anything."

"Do you want me to text him that he should be calling you or..."

"No, block him."

Johan sighed. "I will. But I'd like to know why he's reaching out to me and not you in the first place."

"Because I blocked him. And his wife."

"And by wife you mean..."

"My mother."

"Gotcha, okay." Johan paused. "Then how do you expect him to text you?"

"I don't. I expect him to understand that me blocking him means I don't want him in my life. Period." Judai firmly kept his gaze on his food as he sat up straighter and pulled up his feet. He felt more save with his legs shielding his heart and stomach. Part of him wanted to tell Johan to stop asking questions. To make it clear he didn't want to talk about this. To declare his parents as a taboo topic. But he knew that wasn't how these things worked. Johan would think Judai didn't trust him and that was the last thing he wanted. Because he did trust Johan. More than anyone else. He just hated talking about his childhood. If it could even be called that.

"Maybe he does know that but something important happened you really need to know about," Johan said after a moment of silence. His speech pattern made it clear how carefully he'd chosen his words. As if he were scared of how Judai would react to them.

"Then he can contact my manager."

"Does he have his number?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Good. I'll... block both their numbers then."

Judai nodded. "Thank you."

A few seconds later, Johan put his phone away and focused on the ice cream melting in his own crepe.

"You can ask me, you know?" Judai said after a beat. "About them."

Johan's head shot up and wide eyes met Judai's. "Really? Because I don't want you to-"

"Ah! Are you Johan Andersen?" 

Judai flinched at the sudden scream and turned to watch a green-haired kid rushing their way. Part of him was relieved by the interruption but he could also see Johan's disappointment which quickly made the guilt set in.

Johan didn't bring up Judai's parents for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Two truths, one lie." Johan's voice was low as if he didn't dare to break the silence.

Night had fallen and they were laying curled up on their sides in bed, facing each other. With the curtains drawn, only the softest of blue light managed to illuminate the side of Johan's face. His usually bright eyes now appeared pitch black.

"What?" Judai whispered back.

"Two truths, one lie. We should play."

"Now?"

"If you want."

Judai squeezed his arm through the small gap between them so he could fold it under his head and see Johan more clearly. "Okay, I'll play."

"Do you want to start?"

"Hm... you go first."

Johan nodded and rolled over on his back. With now only part of his profile lit up, his face had become even more unreadable. "I... grew up in an orphanage. I... haven't had my first kiss yes. And... I used to be in love with my best friend."

Judai blinked. "Wow, okay, these are really personal." He could feel Johan shrug beside him which reminded him of how close they were. Even the heat Johan was giving off was palpable in this proximity. "Alright so... I think the second one is the lie."

"It's not."

"It's not?" Judai echoed. "Huh. Can I guess again?"

"Nope! Your turn!"

Judai frowned. "Did you grow up in an orphanage?"

Johan turned to look at him. "I thought I said it's your turn."

Judai sighed. "Fine. But one day, I want to know."

Johan nodded and turned to face the ceiling again.

"Alright then." Judai paused. "Two truths... and a... lie." He frowned. "Two _truths_ and _a_ lie." He rolled onto his back. " _Two_ truths and a _lie_."

"Judai."

"Okay, okay, I'm thinking." Judai crossed his arms behind his head. "Yours were so personal. I feel like I have to do the same now."

"You don't have to."

"But I will."

"Okay."

Judai drew in a deep breath. "One... I used to go to therapy as a child. Two... I never really felt like I belonged anywhere until I got to Duel Academy. Three... I want to have a cat."

"Three is the lie," Johan said right away.

"What? How did you-"

"I know you've joked about us adopting a cat before but I also remember your words after Pharaoh died."

Judai slowly brought out the arms from under his head and pulled the covers further up his chin. "Right. I called you." He looked off into the darkness and tried not to think of that day but it was impossible not to. Pharaoh had died in his sleep, an arguably peaceful way of passing. He'd been old already when Judai had decided to bring him along on his journey.

His spirit had joined Daitokuji because of course he would. That had probably been the only reason he'd stuck by Judai's side for so long in the first place. Within seconds of Pharaoh's passing, Judai's former teach and pet had disappeared before he'd managed to think of the right way to say goodbye.

He'd buried Pharaoh on top of a beautiful cliffside overlooking the ocean. He'd cried the entire time until his chest hurt and not even Winged Kuriboh had managed to calm him down. The tears hadn't dried until he'd managed to dial Johan's number with shaking hands and blurt out everything he was feeling and thinking. A week later, he was sitting on a plane flying back to Japan.

"I wish I could've been there, Judai," Johan said softly.

"Me too."

"Come here." Johan reached out to tug at Judai's wrist under the covers.

Judai didn't need more prompting and rolled over to curl up against Johan's side. There were no tears to hold back but he still felt the weight on his chest and the tightness in his throat. "It's your turn," he got out.

"Not right now."

Judai nodded and let his eyes fall shut. He fell asleep with familiar fingers in his hair and a steady heartbeat in his ear.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me art and drabble prompts over here (no smut - please and thank you): https://time-to-w-w-w-write.tumblr.com


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